


Neville's Imaginary Friend

by lauriegilbert



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-25
Updated: 2012-02-25
Packaged: 2017-10-31 17:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/346791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauriegilbert/pseuds/lauriegilbert
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The prequel to The True Story of Neville Longbottom.  Originally posted in Nevillosity April, 2004, and on my livejournal on May 1, 2004.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Neville's Imaginary Friend

No one understood him. Even his gran didn’t believe him. This didn’t stop Neville Longbottom though. Instead, the young child ignored what the adults around him said, and focused all his love and attention on his best friend in the world. Who cared that no one else believed in him, Neville did, and that was all that mattered.

From the day he had said his first words, Neville had understood what it meant to have power over the people around him. The reactions of people, especially his Uncle Algee, when he did something they wanted him to do was amazing. Even at the age of two, manipulation was a large part of who Neville Longbottom was.

Power was something Tom loved too, and he knew how to use it in so many more ways than Neville did. Recognizing a kindred spirit right away, Neville became Tom’s student, and it wasn’t long before the young child was as manipulative as Tom himself.

Gran couldn’t understand the difference in her young Neville. Ever since he had replaced Waggles the imaginary dog with Tom, he had changed. This new imaginary friend wasn’t a good influence on him, but how do you ban something from a child’s imagination?

Two years passed, and Tom had become a permanent fixture in the Longbottom home. While no one believed he existed in human form, his presence was very much felt. Neville knew exactly how to get what he wanted, and with minimal effort controlled the entire family dynamic. At four years old, he could make or break a family gathering with a laugh or a tear.

After he had been put to bed one night just after his fifth birthday, Neville showed his first signs of magic. He had been lying in bed using his finger as a wand, complaining about how much he hated the shade of his new sweater and wishing it could be blue instead. Suddenly, the sweater changed into the exact colour Neville was thinking of. The smile on Neville’s face couldn’t get any wider. “Tom, I’m a wizard!” The gleam of pleasure in Tom’s eyes made Neville bounce with glee. Somehow he knew this changed everything.

The next morning while Neville and Tom were relaxing in the field behind the house, Tom looked over and said, “I have something for you. But before I can show you what it is, you must swear on your life that not another creature will find out about it. Can you swear this to me Neville?”

“Yes Tom, I swear,” Neville said solemnly. His eyes grew as big as quaffles when Tom pulled a wand out from behind his back. “Is that for me?”

“Of course. Your first signs of magic means that your training must begin. The more training you have no, the stronger you’ll be as a wizard later.”

“Training? You mean, you’re going to teach me how to use it too?”

“I’m going to teach you everything I know,” Tom said with an evil smirk.

***************  
Years passed, and Neville’s training advanced steadily. His family never found out about his skills, as Tom had recommended that he hide them from them all. Whatever Tom recommended, Neville did. After all, he was his best friend and would never steer him wrong. The two shared laughter nightly over the trials that the Gran and the uncles put Neville through, convinced that he would show some spark of magic eventually.

Just after Neville’s tenth birthday, Tom knew that there needed to be a change again. His young protégé was extremely gifted in all magical ways, and was now the very image of himself at that age. But if the family still considered him a squib, they would be shocked when the Hogwarts letter arrived on their doorstep next summer. To make sure that this flaw in his plan didn’t happen, he convinced Neville to give one small show of his skills. So, when Algee dropped him from the window, Neville was extremely grateful that he was allowed to use his hidden wand to save himself.

Silently wishing he could curse his uncle right here, Neville allowed his family to fawn over him for a small while before making his way upstairs. Still marveling at how the people around him were so gullible, he pulled out his cauldron and began his work. As the final ingredients were added, Neville’s face had a grin on it that even Tom would have been proud of.

The night of August 31st, Neville was excited. Finally all his years of training and planning were going to start being applied. After coming home from visiting Algee in the hospital, who had developed a strange case of food poisoning, never before seen by any doctor, he ran to his room. Tom was already there waiting for him.

“You remember everything I’ve told you, Neville? This is your last chance to go against the plan. From here there is no turning back,” Tom said, making sure his protégé was ready for what was to come.

“I’m ready Tom. I won’t disappoint you,” Neville replied full of confidence.

“I never thought you would.”

That night, the two fell asleep wrapped in each other, each content with their own thoughts. As Neville, excited about being able to use his training to help Tom, cuddled deeper into his arms, Tom’s smirk was more evil than any smirk ever produced by a Malfoy. He had successfully marked both boys, in very different ways, and eventually both would be under his control. The prophesy need not worry him anymore.


End file.
